Masayoshi Kasugai

Obara Washi Art

Obara village, Aichi prefecture, Japan

Morning Hour

Background

Masayoshi Kasugai was a master papermaker who lived in the paper making village of Obara in Aichi prefecture. In 1945, the artist Fuji Tatsukichi developed a process for making pictures through the use of various textured and colored paper materials, and this has become known as ‘obara washi art’ Mr. Kasugai in particular perfected special techniques for creating trees and landscapes by laying unmacerated strips of kozo inner bark into a pulp background.